Roof structure for railway cars



April A. E. SMALL 1,752,355

ROOF STRUCTURE FQR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Apiil 19, 1926 'IIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIII III-(III.

Invenior:

arESaij Patented Apr. 1, 1930' UNITED IVTSTATES'PATENT OFFICE ARI-Hun E. SMALL, crrroeeo, rumors, ASSIGNOR roportion METAL. :enonuo'rs COMPANY, or CHICAGO, rumors, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE I ROOF STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS original application meaA rn ie, 1926, Serial 110,103,069. Divided and this application filed February 6, w 1928. SeriaLNo. 252,353.

My device relates to railway box cars and consists in providing means for moving heavy cargoes in and out of the car and to desired positions within the 7 car.

It is common practice to throw a rope or chain over one of the carlines or purlins of a box car to raise the lading, but the ordinary roof frame of a car is not designed to resist the stresses imposed thereby, thus frequently causingdistorted and leaky roofs. One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide means for attaching a load lifting.

device which strengthens'the roof, member to which it is secured. A v

Another object of the invention is to locate means for attaching 'a load lifting device so that itis accessible from the inside of the car but does not reduce the free inside height of the car. Light packages and other commodities are sometimes loaded to the roof of the car, therefore,- it is desirable to locate such means so asnot to reduce the cubical ,capacity of the carp In some cars ,theroof structure comprises carlines spanning the distance between the. opposite side plates with metallic roof sheets spanning the space between the adjacent car lines. These roof sheets are sometimes secured'to the carlines making what is known 0 as a rigid roof and sometimes positioned loosely: between the carlines making. what is known as a flexible roof. Sometimes the carlines are eliminated and the roof. sheets are so formed and perhaps strengthened that they perform the functions of the usual carline, so the term ,carline as used in this patent meansthat structure which preforms the functions ofa carline whethera separate member or an integralpart of the sheet or sheets forming the roof proper of the car. My invention may be modified so that it will be applicable 1 to any type of freight car roof. In the drawings: v Fig. 1 shows apart of a-railway car with 1ny invention appliedithereon. Y

Fig. 2 is a section or line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Fig. a shows a modified form ofthe device.

Fig. 5. is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows the device applied to a flexible type of roof.

Fig. 7 shows the device applied to another type of rigid roof.

Fig. 8 shows a method of reinforcing the carline where additional strength is required. Figs. 9 and 10 show the device indetail.

The drawings illustrate an all steel rigid roof wherein the carlines 2 have their extremities secured to the side plates 3 of the car. These carlines areof inverted channel section with spaced apart side walls 4-4, an upper portion 5, and laterally extending flanges 6'. The roof sheets 7 span the distance between the carlines and may extend between the opposite side plates or from one side plateto the ridge or center of the car. These roof sheets have upturned flanges 8 at their opposite sides which are secured to the opposite side walls 4: respectively of the carline. e v

A device 10 is positioned entirely within the inverted channel and has its opposite ends secured to the opposite side walls of the carline and a space 11 is provided above the device 10 and below the upper portion 5 of the carline so that a load lifting device may be attached thereto by passing a rope orchain through this opening or passing .the nose of the hook through it. Figs. i and 5 (and Fig. 6) show a modified form wherein the lower part of the device 30 is provided with oppositely projecting flanges 12 to accommodate ice tongs or other such load lifting devices which device 30 is also provided with an upstanding web 31 which is provided with an aperture 32 through which a chain may be inserted; or in other words, this aperture performs the same function as the space 11 describedabove. Both the carline and the device" are positioned entirely above the lower is a strut-tie as it prevents the walls lt of section beam begins to deflect the opposite side walls 7 lt- 1 depart from their vertical plane, or in other words, the channel spreads apart or opens up, as it is called. The device the channel from deflecting either toward or away from each other. This device, therefore, serves the dual purpose of strengthen- 'ing the roof member to which it is secured and provides means for attaching a load lifting device. The device may be riveted into place with rivets of less shearing strength than the ultimate strength of the carline so that the device will'be pulled away from'the carlinebefore the carline is distorted. This to mini- I mize. the damage when excessive loads are applied to the device.

The greater the inside height of the car the better, as the height. from the rail is limited by the tunnel and bridge clearances, particu larly at the eaves, therefore, a roof structure must be very shallow. In order to obtain the required strength for certain loads in such a shallow carline it may be necessary to provide other reinforcements. For such necessity'I add the reinforcements 14 (see Fig. 8) which are located entirely within the inverted channel carline for reasonsalready enumerated. g

' Fig; 6 shows my invention applied to a flexible steel roof wherein the roof sheets are spaced apart from the carline 21 and a cap 22 is used to weather-proof the space between the roof sheets and the carline.

Fig. 7 shows my invention applied to another type of rigid roof wherein the roof sheets 23-24 overlap the carline 25 and are secured thereto in rigid relation by a clamp or a rivet.

Fig. 8 shows a roof similar to the one shown in Fig. 2 and shows the reinforcing members 14 which also support the device 10.

Fig. 10 shows the device of Figs. 2 and 3 in detail. i r.

Fig. 9 shows a modification of the device wherein the central portion is made cylindrical. V V

The device may be secured to a-carline' and perform the advantageous functions enumerated herein or it may be secured to roof sheets which are formed and arranged to serve as carlines and come within the scope-of this invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope ofthe claims will occurto persons skilledin the art.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 103,069, filed April 19, 1926.

I claim:

1. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member, and a device secured within the channel member and arranged to accommodate load lifting devices, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surface of the roof sheets.

2. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member, and a de-' vice secured within the channel member to the opposite walls thereof and arranged to accommodate load lifting devices, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surface'of the roof sheets.

3. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of'the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member, and a dei1 vice secured within the channel memberso as to provide a space above said device, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surface of the roof'sheets.

4. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of the car, a, roof sheet on each side of the member, and a device secured within the channel member so as to provide a space above said device, saidi'i device having oppositely disposed flanges at itslower portion, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surface of the roof sheets.

5. In a car roof'construction, an inverted channel member with lts extremltiessecuredto the opposite side plates of the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member, and a. device secured within the channel member to the oppositewalls thereof so as to provide a space above said device, said device. having oppositely disposed flanges at its lower portion, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surfaceof'the roof sheets.

6. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to; the opposite side plates of the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member extending within and secured tosaid-member, and a de vice secured within" the channel member and arranged to accommodate load lifting devices, both the member: and the device being entirely above the lower surface of the roof sheets. 7 r r 7. In a car roof construction, an inverted channel member with its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of the'ca'r, afroof sheet on each ide. f he m berhev lisiurturned fianges at'their sidessecured-to the opposite Walls of the member, and a device secured Within the channel member and arranged to accommodate load lifting devices, both the member and the device being entire- 1y above the lower surface of the roof sheets. 8. In a car roof construction, a member With its extremities secured to the opposite side plates of the car, a roof sheet on each side of the member, and a device supported by said member arranged to accommodate a load lifting device, both the member and the device being entirely above the lower surface of the roof sheets.

' ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

